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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

New Hair's Resolutions

Hello hello their my dear readers!

Are we well today? I sure hope we are! My birthday is nearly here, which means we're nearing the end of this stupid birthday month that's bringing us down. I decided that I will enjoy this birthday no matter how much I hate getting older, and how much I love my Peter Pan-like life. Yes, I do wish I could stay young forever, but I also do think it's a choice you make within yourself. You can act all grumpy and old like you're nearing the end of your life- kinda like I have been acting recently, but you can also choose to laugh and have a sense of humor about it, and be young and youthful. Worries are for the old. If you want to be young forever you mustn't worry, because that would be defeating the purpose. So let's not defeat the purpose, and let's live like we're dying while we're young. That could be a really fun mash up. Think about it. Or maybe it's just me.

Anyways I really thought I should focus on other things other than guys in the meantime, so I'm going to focus on my hair. Yes, on my hair.

I am in love with ombre, and it adds so much character to my hair, but it also burnt the ends, and made my hair less soft, and way more dry, which bothers me so much. I hate split ends. Hate them.

So I decided to gain a new routine for myself. I have never really had a hair routine. I just brushed my hair with a brush. I had shampoo and conditioner, but never really cared too much about the kind of hair they were targeted at, and never had any other products I used before or after.

To be honest I never really use heat on my hair and therefore my hair is fairly healthy to begin with.

Here are my steps and tips for healthy hair starting January 2013:

1) Use no heat. Yes, it's a step I already follow but for all of you out there. Heat's gonna burn your hair and make it split and frizz. Don't we all want it to be healthy and shiny though? We do. Take it away from your routine as much as possible. Air and towel dry your hair, curl it in braids, and so on.

If you still decide to use heat:

*Use a diffuser on the blow dryer. It will distribute the heat evenly through your hair rather than put a lot of heat on some parts of your hair.

*Lower the heat setting. You don't need 500 degrees in order to straighten your hair.

*Use heat protectant on your hair. My favorite, which I have recently run out of after a long time's service is TRESemmé's Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray (that's a mouthful.. Good thing I'm writing it). Apply it to your hair before you style it with heat. I personally rarely use it, but I like it a lot.

2) Use less products on your hair. Not only do they make your scalp unhealthy by either drying it up, oiling it up, or both, and whatever affects your scalp will affect your hair, as well, but it can also weigh down your hair and make it look really flat. Use the minimum amount of products, and check to see if you really need another balm, hair spray, or mousse.

3) Check to see if the products you are using are suited to your hair type. For example, if mine is dry, damaged, and colored, I will use products targeted at that. My shampoo and conditioner combo are the Dry Scalp Care by Head & Shoulders, and recently changed conditioner is Full Restore conditioner by Elvive. They both help with the dry situation on my hair and scalp especially in the winter months that are always far more dry for my skin as a whole, and for my hair.

4) Use a deep conditioning treatment once a week or once every two weeks depending on how thirsty your hair is. I personally use Elvive's matching Full Restore mask once a week instead of a regular conditioner and it makes an incredible change in how soft my hair is. It doesn't make my hair oily at all which is a great plus, and it is fairly affordable.

5) Don't wash your hair all the time. This is a huge mistake a lot of my friends made. Give your hair and scalp a break in between washes of at least a day, because washing it strips it of its moisture, and makes your scalp produce more and more oil. Start breaking your washes slowly and you will notice your hair doesn't get as oily as fast.

6) Comb through it with care. Don't, if possible, use brushes on it, and definitely not when it wet and more fragile. Use a wide toothed comb after the shower to take the knots out of it. I use a wooden one I got at the Body Shop. It doesn't break your hair as easily as a brush. And don't finger comb through your hair because you will be ripping and breaking your hairs trying to take down the knots. When your hair is dry and knotty use a Tangle Teezer. These make my life a blast. It is so gentle, and easy to work with. It doesn't pull your hair out, which is something I despise about brushes. Finally, start brushing at the bottom of your hair and slowly move up. Don't start at the top because it will bunch all of the knots together at the bottom and it will make it dreadful to brush through, and break your hair like nothing else.

7) Change you parting every once in a while. It will stimulate the roots a little, and help your hair grow.

8) Last but not least try not to put too much pressure on it. Ponytails are comfortable, I know, but they break your hair and make it frizz at the top if the height of the ponytail isn't varied often. Try to use bobby pins that don't pull your hair for every updo, but if you're like me and you like simplicity, or are sporty, only use elasttics that are NOT made made of plain rubber, use ones with the fabric-y finish, and don't use ones that have metal part, because they both tear easily, and break and pull your hair. They sell quite good ones at H&M, and at every drugstore. Compare prices and see which one's better.

Hope this was helpful! I also hope you devote yourself for good causes rather than stick to drama. I love you, and as Ellen says "be kind to one another"! Tomorrow is the big 18 :) <3 XOXO Roni J.